Collapsible golf bag support



Oct. 21, 1958 i H. v. HOWE COLLAPSIBLE GOLF BAG SUPPORT F iled Jan. 14, 1954 Ehrr F lg. 3. I

INVENTOR. l HOWE ATTORNEY United 6 Claims. (Cl. 24896) This invention relates to the game of golf and more particularly to the supporting of a bag, in which the golf clubs are carried, in a generally upright position so that a club can be easily removed and replaced without the necessity of stooping.

One of the objects of my invention is to produce an improved golf club bag support structure which can be readily attached to a golf bag and so used that when the golfer desires to play his ball he can quickly support the bag in a'generally upright position for easy removement and replacement of clubs and also convenience in all acts connected with his conveyance of the bag.

Another object of my invention is to produce an improved support structure for a golf club bag which can conveniently be attached to the bag and easily and quickly employed to support the bag in a generally upright position when desired.

Still another object is to produce a golf club bag support of the type above referred to which will embody means for automatically retracting the support into an unobstructive, inoperative position alongside the bag whenever the bag is lifted oi the ground to be carried.

A further object is to embody in a golf club bag support structure an improved attaching structure which will permit easy attachment to the top of any golf club bag and will embody a resilient type of hinge means permitting the bag to be placed in its upright supp rted position by an easy movement involving only the manipulation of the bag and when the bag is lifted oil the ground to be carried, the attaching structure causes the support to be automatically retracted to a position alongside the bag.

Another object is ,to provide improved adjusting means in the bag attaching structure so the support will fit onto various shaped bags in an efficient manner.

A still further object is to produce a golf club bag support which .will be provided with spread apart legs to assure good supporting of the bag in a generally upright position and will embody means for permitting adjust- .ment as to length and also relationship of the legs to eificiently perform its functions on various shapes and lengths of bags.

Yet a further object is to produce a golf club bag support structure that will be very light in weight, can be manufactured at a low cost, will be efiicient in use and not produce any unattractive appearance to the golf bag.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view of a golf club bag with my improved support structure attached thereto and in an operative position;

Figure 2 is a side view showing the support structure in its retracted position alongside the bag;

Figure 3 is an enlarged front view of the bag attaching structure for the support;

Figure 4 is a section view taken on the line 4-4, showing additional details of the attaching structure;

atent I preferably tubular for lightness.

Figure 5 is a view showing details permitting adjustment of the bag connecting structure;

Figure 6 is an enlarged view showing additional details of the support structure and particularly the adjustable features of the two legs; and

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-:7 of Figure 6 showing further details.

Referring to the drawings in detail, there is shown a golf club bag generally indicated by the letter B to which my improved support structure, generally indicated by the letter S, is attached. The golf club bag is shown as of rectangular shape, but it can be of any other well known shape. The bag has a top rim portion 10, a bottom 11, sides 12, a pocket 13 and a shoulder carrying strap 14, all of which is standard construction.

My support structure S, shown by way of example as embodying my invention, is an elongated member made from two straight tubular shafts 15 and 16 which are held in side by side parallel relation by a connecting means such as a rivet l7. Telescoped in the bottom ends of the tubular shafts are legs 18 and 19 which are also The legs are angular shaped, as shown, so as to extend in diverging'relation from the lower ends of the shafts and at their free ends project somewhat parallel to the shafts to provide good ground engagement. The legs are attached to the shafts in an adjustable manner which, as shown, comprises screws 20 passing through smooth holes 21 in the shafts and being threaded into tapped holes 22 in the legs.

it will be noted from Figures 1 and 6 that the shafts have a plurality of longitudinally arranged holes 2 1. The holes are staggered, with the even holes in one longitudinal line and the odd holes in another longitudinal line. This arrangement of the holes permits the legs to be held in diflerent longitudinal positions in the shafts and also to have different angular relation with the shafts. Such adjustments permit ready change in the overall length of the support so as to be efficiently used with various lengths of bags and also to permit a .change in the angle of the legs and spacing at the free ends so as to make proper engagement with the ground fordiiferent shapes and kinds of bags to thereby assure good tripod standing of the bag. It will be noted that the holes are in pairs and, as shown, three spacing adjustments of the legs are possible. Each leg can be adjusted forward and backward independently of the other.

A very important feature of my invention is the connecting of the support S to the bag. In a preferred construction, as shown, this connection is accomplished by flattening the top ends of the shafts 1S and 16 and attaching thereto a curved resilient thin sheet element P made from spring steel. This element is attached at one end in a slit between the flattened sides of the flattened ends of the shafts by bolts 23 and 24, all as shown in Figure 4. These *bolts also pass through a supporting plate 25 on the outside of the flattened ends of the shafts. This plate, if desired, can also serve as a name plate for the golf bag owner.

The connection of the support to the bag also pro vides for an adjustment between the plate and the shafts, as is shown in Figure 5. The plate has two curved slots 23' and 24 through which the bolts 23 and 24 pass to make the connection with the shafts. This permits the shafts to be adjusted to have various angular relations with the plate. The adjustment slots permit the support structure to be readily used on dilferent shaped bag rims such as slanted ones and other odd shapes and also on either side of the bag as desired by the golfer.

It will be noted from Figure 4 that the resilient sheet element P gradually curves inwardly from its attached end and at its free end curves quite sharply outwardly to provide a clamping cross trough 26. The connection between the support and the golf club bag is completed by a bracket 27 provided with clamping screws 28 and 29. This bracket is an independent member from the curved resilient sheet element P. The bracket is U-shaped to fit over the golf bag top rim and has a relatively long leg 30 to extend downwardly on the inside of the rim and a shorter leg 31 to carry the clamping screws 28 and 29 and to so overlie or overlap the trough end 26 of the curved resilient sheet element that the inner ends of the screws will engage in the bottom of the trough when attachment of the support to the bag is to be accomplished, all as best shown in Figure 4.

From the foregoing detailed description of a preferred support structure for a golf club bag, it is believed to be apparent how the support functions. When the support is firmly clamped to the top rim of the bag by the bracket 27 and screws 28 and 29 through the medium of the curved resilient sheet element P, all as best illustrated in Figure 4, then the normal condition of the resilient sheet element P will automatically position the support, including the shafts and legs, up close against and substantially parallel with the side wall of the bag, all as illustrated in Figure 2. When the support is attached to the bag at its rim, its length will be adjusted so that the ends of the legs extend somewhat beyond the bottom 11 of the bag. This can be easily accomplished by the adjustment provided between the legs and shafts comprising the holes 21 in the shafts and received screws carried by the legs. In making the length adjustment, the spread adjustment of the legs will also be determined by use of the proper one of the staggered holes.

With the support S now attached to the bag as indicated, it will be easy to stand the bag up with the clubs extending from its top open end for easy access whenever a stop is made to play a shot. To make the setup after the bag is removed from the shoulder or other carrying position and the support is retracted against the bag as shown in Figure 2, then all that the player needs to do is place the bottom of the bag toward the ground until the legs, extending somewhat below the bottom, engage the ground and then swing the bottom of the bag away from the legs of the support and let the bottom rest on the ground in spaced relation to the legs as shown in Figure 1. This swinging movement is easily permitted by the curved resilient attaching sheet element P as it will act as a resilient hinge by a flexing action and easiness of setup will be aided by the weight of the bag with the clubs therein. The bag when set up will be in a substantially upright position approaching vertical, which is considerably more upright than prior known supports that can only stand the bag up at to 60 degrees. It will be noted that the bag with my improved support can be stood up without any band manipulation of the support.

When the player again desires to pick up the bag and carry it to his next play, he need merely lift the bag off the ground by its strap or a handle and proceed. As soon as the bag and support leave the ground, the resilient connecting element P which has been flexed returns to its normal unflexed condition, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, and places the shafts and legs up alongside the bag, out of the way and in an inconspicuous position, producing no unattractive appearance to the bag. The retracting operation is fully automatic. Again, no hand manipulation of the support is required.

My support is extremely light, particularly when it is constructed of tubular parts for the shafts and legs and further if made of light metal such as aluminum or magnesium. It can be made so as to be lighter than a golf club putter. It will be noted that the support can be easily and firmly attached to any golf club bag and adjusted as desired to-give efficient operation, regardless: of shape or length of the bag involved. Firm upright support of the, bag is provided because of the diverging legs which will produce with the bag a tripod rest.

I am aware that modifications in the particular structure shown can be made as other resilient connections can be employed and the shaft and leg arrangement shown can be varied, all without change in the fundamental principles involved. Therefore, I desire it to be understood that the scope of my invention is not to be limited except in accordance with the structural terms and equivalents thereof as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A support for a golf club bag having a top rim portion and a longitudinal axis comprising an elongated structure, means for attaching the structure at one end to the top of the rim portion of the bag comprising a part for mounting on the rim portion and a resilient connecting means between the said mounting part and one end of the elongated structure, said resilient connecting means acting to normally yieldably hold the elongated structure in an inoperative closed position alongside the bags length but permitting the lower end of the structure to swing outwardly away from the bottom of the bag by a flexing of the resilient connecting means, said structure at its lower end being provided with diverging ground engaging legs, and means for adjusting the legs so as to vary the distance between their ground engaging ends, said adjusting means permitting said legs to extend below the bottom of the bag when the elongated structure is alongside the bag whereby the bag is supported in substantially upright position when the structure is swung outwardly, said resilient connecting means comprising a sheet of thin flexible spring steel secured to the elongated structure, said part consisting of a U-shaped bracket for receiving the rim portion of the bag together with a portion of the resilient connecting means, and clamping screws carried by the outer leg of the bracket for forcing the received portion of the resilient connecting means against the bag rim with the other leg of the bracket acting as a pressure receiving surface.

2. A support for a golf club bag having a top rim portion and a longitudinal axis comprising an elongated structure, means for attaching the top of the structure to the rim portion of the bag whereby the lower end can engage the ground to establish with the bag a support to hold the bag in a generally upright position, said structure comprising two tubular shafts positioned in side by side relationship with their top ends adjacent the rim, a ground engaging leg extending from the lower end of each shaft, each leg including a portion telescoping within one of the shafts adjacent the lower end of the latter, each leg portion terminating in a ground engaging part having a free end, the shafts and telescoping portions of the legs being substantially coplanar and the ground engaging parts extending in diverging relationship with each other and from the portions, and means for adjusting the angular relation between at least one leg portion and shaft whereby the relative position of the free ends of the legs may be varied.

3. A support as defined in claim 2 wherein there is also provided means for adjusting the relative longitudinal position of at least one leg portion and shaft whereby the relative longitudinal positions of the legs may be adjusted.

4. A support as defined in claim 3 wherein both adjusting means comprises the one leg portion and shaft each including spaced holes with the holes in one being longitudinally spaced and the holes in the other being longitudinally staggered, and screw means arranged to extend in a selected hole of each to hold the shafts and legs in adjusted positions.

5. A support as defined in claim 3 wherein the attaching means includes a resilient connection acting to normally yieldably hold the elongated structure in an inoperative closed position alongside the bags length but permitting the lower end of the structure to swing outwardly away from the bottom of the bag by a flexing of the resilient connection, said resilient connection comprising a sheet of thin flexible spring steel secured at one end References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 159,167 Salkeld June 27, 1950 Servus Apr. 3, 1888 15 6 Toplifl? Apr. 22, 1902 Settle Feb. 8, 1910 De Blieux Feb. 26, 1924 Huehn Nov. 27, 1934 Love Mar. 28, 1939 Stangailis Apr. 30, 1940 Maloney Sept. 15, 1942 Foley July 19, 1949 Walton Oct. 9, 1951 Francis Mar. 31, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain of 1935 

